For a bunch of itinerant warriors chasing after a sentient, demonic weapon all over the medieval world, the characters of Namco's Soulcalibur franchise have always looked exceptionally striking. There's been lots of layers and detailing to the outfits that Taki, Cervantes and Xianghua have rocked over the years. Maybe even appliqué, too? Well, that's all about to get even more fashion-forward in the series' next chapter with the addition of designer Mari Shimazaki.

Shimazaki previously worked at Platinum Games where she did a ton of work on Bayonetta, which can be seen here. While it's not clear how in-depth her involvement with Namco's Team Soul is going to be, the fruits of her labor can be seen above. The three designs shown are alternate looks for Ivy and Tira, along with the main design for Leixia, the daughter of Xianghua who was featured in the recent clip that our own Mike Fahey posted. (To see the designs in their full glory, mouse over the image and click on expand in the lower right hand corner.) Shimazaki worked on the visually stunning Okami as well, so here's hoping we'll get to see even more of her razor-sharp stylings when Soulcalibur V hits next January.